After the Innocence
by CylentKiaru23
Summary: Sequel to The Innocence of a Question. Kurama and Kagome have been dancing around each other their entire relationship. Kagome still has responsibilities in the Feudal Era, and Kurama is still controlled by Koenma in the Spirit World. What happens when secrets come out and their worlds collide? What happens when two people in love are forced into separate corners?
1. Chapter 1

Here it is! The (very) long awaited sequel. This sequel will most likely have only two chapters. The next chapter will be out...sometime soon?

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed the last submission to The Innocence of a Question. I wish I had enough time to respond to everyone, but please know that I have read each and every one multiple times, and they make my day when I read them.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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After The Innocence

Chapter One

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"You were gone for a while this time."

Emerald eyes looked up to see sorrowful azure staring back at him. It was true; he _had_ been gone far longer than he said he would be. Koenma had sent the gang on yet another mission. It was only supposed to take around two weeks, three at the most, but he had ended up being gone for over a month. Demons were stirring up more trouble and it was the job of Kurama and his friends to help keep the peace; however he could not help but notice the strain that these missions were putting on his social life. "I apologize. I would have called you, but we were in an area with no reception. There was no way for me to contact you."

The day was beautiful despite their somber moods. As soon as she had heard that Shuuichi was back from his "delivery" she had gone over to his home to see him and coerced him into going for a walk. Often times she would wait a while before going to see him, if only to not seem too dependent, but she had _missed_ him. "It's alright, I was just worried about you. I thought something had happened." She looked away from him then, gazing to her left to watch the birds flying over the hill they were sitting on. The breeze blew her hair over her shoulder and obscured part of her face.

Reaching over, Kurama brushed the strands of ebony locks back over her shoulder, bringing himself closer to Kagome. Looking up, he followed her gaze so see what she was looking at. As much as he would like to tell her that she had nothing to worry over, he knew that he couldn't. The missions that he was sent on were dangerous; there was always the chance that one day he would not come back. He realized how selfish he was being by keeping Kagome as he was; he was stringing her along, and didn't even have the decency to tell her the truth about his life. But he was afraid of the reaction he would receive if he told her he had a kitsune locked away within his soul. Many times he had thought about telling her about Yoko, but he was always able to talk himself out of it. In situations like these there was the possibility that she would spread his secret around, or think he was insane. Of course, the probability of Kagome actually doing those things was extremely low. It just was not in her nature to be so malicious; he was merely being cowardly. Turning his eyes back to her, he caught her attention once more. "As I said before, I really am sorry Kagome." And there was nothing more to say.

Kagome seemed to understand that as well, only nodding her head. To be honest with herself, she could not hold it against him anyway. Even she was somewhat at fault. She had been gone for about three weeks in the Feudal Era. But what could she do? If she were to tell him that she disappeared 500 years into the past from time to time he would have her committed.

Looking into Shuuichi's eyes she smiled at him again. "So, what do you want to do today?"

Kurama's eyes widened in surprise; that was it? Why would she forgive him so easily? "You mean you are not upset with me? I was gone for over a month and never called you, and you are not angry?" No one had ever let him off the hook that easily, not even his mother. His mother never yelled at him, but he could tell that she was slowly getting more and more irritated with his constant disappearances.

Kagome's features softened once more. Moving her hand to rest on his cheek she brushed her thumb across his skin. "I am a little upset, but I was more worried about you than angry with you. I know that there are things that you are not able to tell me, or maybe that you cannot summon up the courage to tell me, but I respect that, and I do not expect you to share everything, just as I hope you know that I cannot share everything with you." _Not to mention the fact I'll probably be leaving soon, and this is my last chance to see him before I leave and possibly never come back._ The last thing she wanted to be while she spent time with him for, maybe the last time, was palm moved into his silky hair, running her hands through the bright locks. As she reached the ends of the tresses she rested her hand on his shoulder, bringing her in closer to Kurama.

Kurama leaned down to her as well, their foreheads touching. "Thank you, Kagome, for being so understanding." But there was one thing that he had to ask… "So what did you do while I was gone?" He dressed up the question quite innocently, if he said so himself. More caution was needed than before after all. With each question he asked her, she became more and more suspicious that he was up to something.

A few months ago, Kurama had felt a youkai presence while he was heading up to his raven haired girlfriend's house. Normally, he would have taken care of said youkai, and then been on his merry way, but this time was different. Kagome had been speaking to whatever entity held the demonic aura. It had left in quite a hurry through, what Kurama suspected, the old Bone Eater's well on his girlfriend's property, but he wasn't able to confirm his suspicions right away. Kagome had found him in the well house soon after.

Azure eyes widened. She should have expected his question, but she still wasn't quite used to Shuichi asking her what she did while he was gone. In the past, he had never asked because he knew she was sick, but lately, he had become much more curious. Her answer was always the same, but she couldn't help but feel that he was digging for some sort of information. She opened her mouth to answer, when suddenly an overwhelmingly dark aura burst into existence somewhere nearby.

A gasp nearly escaped her vocal cords, but she was able to catch herself just in time. _What could a youkai be doing here? It's been ages since I've felt anything like this is my time._ "Shuichi, I-"

But to her surprise, the red haired man in front of her shot to his feet. "I'm sorry, my dear, but you will have to excuse me for a moment. I caught a glimpse of something interesting down the hill while we were walking up. Please stay right here." Without even waiting for an answer, he sprinted down the grassy slope.

For a moment, Kagome simply knelt in shock. Her quiet boyfriend had never gotten up to leave so abruptly before. _Odd. He told me to stay here, but I really should go check out what's going on with that youkai…_ Before she made it to her feet, another, much more powerful, aura, blossomed into existence. _This could be bad._

Bolting down the hillside, she made sure to keep close tabs on what was going on not too far away. Though she couldn't see the entities, the auras that she could sense told her just about everything she needed to know. While the first aura could definitely be described as dark and evil, the other aura was harder to describe. It didn't seem evil, just…quiet, calm? But that didn't seem quite right either. Oddly enough, the first thought that came to mind if she were to describe the aura was green.

The auras seemed to hover near each other for a moment, and as Kagome made it half way down the hill, hey it was a big hill-give a girl a break, they seemed to launch at each other. There was a swell of energy, and as quickly as the auras had appeared, they faded away. A light breeze lifted her hair and brushed it over her shoulder, a remnant of the exchange of power that had just barely winked in and out of existence. It was unclear which aura had overcome the other, though deep down, Kagome couldn't help but feel, or at least hope, that the green and more powerful energy had won.

She waited on the hill, still warring over whether she should at least go and investigate, or go back to wait for her boyfriend. Suddenly the soft tinkling of her ringtone pierced the silence. Her hand dug through her pocket, and she lifted it up to see the call screen; Shuichi's face lit up the face of it. _Oh shoot. He's probably already back up the hill already. Oops._ Lifting her phone to her ear, she answered the call, immediately apologizing, and moved to make her way back up the steep incline. "Sorry Shuichi, I'm on my way back up; I saw some cool geese, and I wanted to check them out." Kagome winced at the lame excuse. _Geese? Really, Kagome?_

His response surprised her. "No, Kagome, that's alright, I actually need to head home. I saw a vender near the edge of the sidewalk we used to get up there earlier, and I came down to taste the corndogs and bring you one. Unfortunately, the owner doesn't seem to feel the need to keep up to safety codes, and now I'm sick. You will have to walk home without me."

 _Sick? That fast?_ "A-are you sure you don't want me to walk you home? If you're that sick-"

"No, thank you for the gallant offer, but I would rather you not see me like this. I will be sure to call you once I'm feeling better. Ja ne." And he hung up.

The raven haired girl started down at her now silent phone in bewilderment. _What the heck just happened?_ "There's no way he got sick that fast," she whispered to herself. Sighing in dismay due to her now ruined date, she turned around once again and headed in the direction where she felt the demonic auras again. Despite her ember haired boyfriend's oddities lately, she couldn't help but shake them off for now. She was a miko with a job to do.

Not too far away, Kurama stuck his phone back into his pocket, wincing as the movement jarred his injured leg as his balance shifted. The youkai he fought was of a low class, C at best, but the few tricks it had up its sleeve before he was taken care of were enough to injure the more powerful kitsune. Yoko was having a great laugh at his expense he was sure.

Blood slowly seeped out of the wound as he made his way toward the nearest bus stop. A familiar presence in the trees made itself known to him as he limped, and a quick glance told him it was Hiei.

A low voice mocked him as he walked. "You underestimated that demon, fox. That distraction of yours is beginning to interfere with your work. If you weren't so intent on running back to that woman, you never would have made such a foolish mistake."

The biting remarks were nothing new, and Kurama simply didn't have the energy to respond. His leg _hurt_ damnit! Thankfully, the aloof youkai chose to keep himself hidden amongst the trees; the leaves that hid him made it much easier for the red haired man to ignore the other. Instead, he grit his teeth as he walked up the waiting bus's steps. As the bus pulled away from the curb, he leaned his head against the window and watched the buildings that passed. He left his longtime friend in the trees, but his words continued to echo in his mind.

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Two days later, Kurama's cell phone vibrated across his desk. It was the weekend, around mid-morning, and he was studying a little for his next biology test before he met up with Yusuke's gang. They had all received a call the night before from Botan, who explained to them all that they needed to report back to the Spirit World as soon as possible. Apparently the child prince had an urgent, new mission for them. Kurama couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He had only just returned, and he had been hoping to spend a little more time in the human world before heading out on another job. Unfortunately, duty seemed to call much more often than he would have liked lately.

His phone continued to ring as he read through a final paragraph in his biology textbook. Marking his place with a finger, he grabbed his phone and noticed it was Kagome calling. Instantly he felt the same bit of remorse that he felt last night. Kagome would understand he was sure, but his and her frequent disappearances were slowly becoming much more difficult to just brush off. Quickly, realizing that he had let his phone ring almost too long, he pressed the green send button. "Moshi, moshi, Kagome. How are you?"

The cheerful voice he was expecting didn't come though. Instead, his beautiful girlfriend's voice seemed a bit forced; it trembled ever so slightly as she spoke. "Um, hi, Shuichi; how are you feeling?" Her breathing was a bit off as well…almost…hiccupy.

Kurama's brow wrinkled with concern. It wasn't often that Kagome sounded upset. In fact, he could count the amount of times on one hand. "I am feeling much better, thank you. Kagome, are you alright? You sound upset."

A watery breath was heard over the line. "Of course! Sorry I just woke up."

 _Lie_ , he thought.

"Um, I'm sorry to call so early, Shuichi, but I have to tell you something." Her voice broke for a moment before she could catch herself. "I'm going to have to go away for a little while. My illnesses have been getting worse, and my doctor told me yesterday that I needed to travel to Kyoto to try some new treatments…I don't know when I'll be back." Kurama could practically taste the sorrow that dripped from his girlfriend's voice even through the phone.

She was sick again? Kurama's eyes narrowed to slits. Something definitely wasn't right. Her illnesses, while frequent, were not something that warranted travel and treatment from alternate doctors. However, he could not discount the emotion in her voice. Whether she was being honest about her reason for leaving or not, something was deeply bothering her, and he did not doubt the fact that she did not know when they would see each other again. "Kagome, I-I'm so sorry to hear that. Would I be able to come visit you before you leave? See you off?" He had some time before he had to head to the Spirit World for his meeting, and barely healed leg or not, he _would_ see his girlfriend before she disappeared again.

The silence on the line after his question was telling. "…no, Shuichi. I'm actually at the train station now. My train leaves in ten minutes. I'm so sorry," this time her voice did break and she did nothing to stop it this time. "I would have told you sooner, but I didn't know that I would be leaving so soon. Please forgive me." She was sobbing, and the sound of her tears pulled at his heart, making it feel as if it was being sucked right out of his chest.

Lying or not now, he knew he had to make it to her before she left. "Tell me what train station you're at. Is it the one right on the corner? I can make it there in less than ten minutes." His heart was pounding in his chest, and the feeling in his gut told him that it was very unlikely that she was actually even at a train station, but he had to at least try to see her. He had to pretend to believe her. And maybe a small part of him still believed that his girlfriend would tell him the truth that she was obviously keeping from him.

He heard her sigh. "I'm at the Yoshiki station. I'll wait as long as I can," gaining some control, she managed to choke out, "Please forgive me, Shuichi. I-I love you…goodbye." Her line clicked, indicating that she had hung up.

Kurama's hand closed around his phone so hard the veins in wrists shone prominently through his skin. She hadn't even waited long enough for him to respond before she hung up. They had never spoken those three words to each other. Feeling that actions always spoke louder than words, it was an unspoken rule between them to never utter them. Instead, they showed their love for each other in the little things they did for each other when they were together. Drawing in a trembling breath, he hardened his resolve, opened up the window next to his bed, and jumped through, ignoring the pain in his leg as he ran towards the station that sat on the corner of his street. He only hoped he would make it in time, and that Kagome was really waiting for him inside the busy walls.

* * *

"Kagome, I-"

"Shut up, Inuyasha. Not right now." Angry blue eyes shot daggers into gold ones. Kagome threw her phone on her bed, and grabbed the giant yellow backpack that ominously sat in her computer chair. She shouldered the giant pack, swiping her arm across her eyes as she did so, trying to wipe away the tears she had shed moments before.

The Shikon Jewel's completion had been her goal for a long time. She knew that the time to defeat Naraku was close, but she hadn't realized exactly how close that time was. The terrible remorse that she felt at lying to Shuichi and not being able to say goodbye to him properly was overwhelming, but unfortunately, duty called.

A jealous, silver haired hanyou watched as Kagome headed out the door of her bedroom. "Keh," he mumbled as he pushed past her in the hallway. "The stupid guy doesn't even realize you won't be waiting for him. A moron like that isn't worthy of someone like you anyway." He had meant the words to be comforting, but he realized too late that insulting the man that his Kagome, well clearly not his, had just professed her love to was probably not the best idea. Glancing behind him, he saw that Kagome had stopped in her tracks, bangs hiding her beautiful eyes from him. He gulped.

When she finally raised her head, Inuyasha's ears pulled back in shame, laying them down close to his head. "Shuichi is not stupid, Inuyasha, and certainly not a moron. Clearly, I cannot say the same thing about you." The words were quiet. Calm. Scary as hell. Pure, unadulterated, fury shone through her deep blue eyes and pierced right into the hanyou's soul. "Let's go," she said, and stepped around him.

The miko lightly tread down the stairs and walked straight out the door. Her mother, brother, and grandfather waited for her in front of the well house, and Inuyasha watched as she started crying once again as she embraced each one. Shiori, her mother, was also crying. She knew there was a chance that her daughter may never return.

Inuyasha had slowly grown to love the girl – no – woman that was embracing her family. Kikyou had been a fleeting love, something that was tainted with hate and prejudice, lust and deceit, and he had realized long ago that the vengeful miko would never mean as much to him as Kagome. But, it seemed that despite his realization, the lovely miko would not be his to have. The damn male that he was never able to identify despite his best efforts, clearly held her heart tight, and even though it was painful for him to admit it, as Kagome embraced her grandfather, Inuyasha knew that if she were given the choice, she would return to this era in a second and leave his world, and him, behind.

"-rama. Kurama! Heeeey! Earth to fox boy! What the hell is your problem? I asked you a question!"

Shaken from his thoughts, Kurama turned his head to stare at the male with the slicked back hair next to him. "I apologize, Yusuke. What were you saying?" Uncharacteristically, the red haired kitsune had been caught lost in his thoughts. And understandably so. In spite of his best efforts to make it there in time, or perhaps because she was never there in the first place, he was not able to make it to the station in time to see his girlfriend off. She had sounded so brokenhearted on the phone, and he hated that he was not able to give her a proper goodbye, answer her confession, kiss her soft lips one more time…

"Seriously, what the hell, Kurama? You're doing it again. What is the matter with you today?" It was clear that the demon prince was becoming impatient. They were walking the halls of the manor in the Spirit World, debating the reason why they were all called before the toddler again so soon.

"Please excuse the foolish fox, Yusuke. He's just upset that he didn't get to say goodbye to his woman before she left for who knows where, again."

This stopped the group in its tracks.

"Wait. Kurama has a woman? You mean girlfriend? Since when? Hey, Kurama! When did you get a girlfriend? How come we never got to meet her?" Kuwabara was too excited at the news that his friend had scored a girl to notice that said male was currently glaring daggers at Hiei.

"I believe that it is about time you kept your thoughts to yourself on this matter, Hiei. Today is not the day to test my patience." Indeed it was not. Kagome's disappearance and blatant lie had finally put the normally calm demon on edge. Even Yoko, who was at times a constant annoyance, was quiet in the back of his mind, knowing that striking the nerve that held Kagome close was near to snapping.

"What I don't understand is why you keep dwelling on her. You have known for months that she has been lying to you, and she has served as a constant distraction on missions for the good part of a year. I suggest you take this event as a way to wipe your hands clean of her. A demon of your stature should not worry about the dealings of little girls anyway, and-"

A hand shot out and grabbed the dark cloak that shrouded the terribly short, fire demon. Hiei grit his teeth as Kurama's dominant size allowed him to slightly lift the smaller demon off the ground. "Kagome is none of your business. You have made your stance clear to me, now I suggest you quiet yourself before I am forced to do something that we might regret." Blood red eyes took in the state of his friend. The normally calm Kurama had been transformed into an angry, trembling, wide eyed version of his formerly proud self.

"Hey, hey, gentleman. I don't know what's going on between you two, but you gotta chill out. We don't have time for you two to start acting all strange right before a mission." Yusuke laid a comforting hand on the clearly struggling kitsune's shoulder. "We're all used to Hiei's moodiness, but Kurama, one stupid acting demon is enough. Cool it man."

Hand trembling, Kurama tightened his grasp on his friend's shirt before letting go completely. He knew that he was acting irrationally, but the pain of Kagome's leaving was still too raw, too new, for Hiei to be jabbing at him so soon.

Taking a deep breath in, Kurama closed his eyes and held it in. He slowly let it out, compartmentalizing his frustration so that it could be dealt with later in a more appropriate setting. Calm façade now in place, he strode ahead of the group. "I apologize to everyone. I will not allow what is going on in my personal life to get in the way of this new mission." Gritting his teeth one more time, he took one more deep breath, steeling himself, before he reached forward and grabbed hold of the doors in front of him.

Koenma sat at the desk in front of the Spirit Detectives, fingers weaved together, with his chin resting on top. Expression solemn. Not typical of the ruler of Spirit World by any means.

Team Urameshi assembled into the spacious office, and awaited orders. Ogre bustled around behind Koenma's desk with an outdated remote in his hand. A screen floated down from the ceiling as a DVD and VCR player popped out of a hidden hole in the toddler's desk.

"We gonna watch a movie, Koenma? What's all this?" Yusuke was getting impatient. Each member of the team had received the same phone call the previous night, and the wait was beginning to wear on the team leader.

Koenma grumbled. "Yusuke! You should show more respect for your elders! The video surveillance that we have gathered is actually quite complex. You should appreciate the fact that we even have videos to show you, and not just a single picture. I'm getting awfully tired of your attitude!" As Koenma yelled, Ogre was still busy putting in the correct DVD, and gathering all the correct folders. When he was finished, he handed the final folder to Koenma, and ran to the door that connected the ruler's office to the rest of Spirit World. As soon as he opened the door a crack, Botan pushed herself through, nearly toppling the poor, blue ogre in the process.

"Hello, everyone!" She smiled at the group that was grumpily awaiting their instructions, though it slowly melted into a frown. "Well, you lot look perfectly morose this morning. What's got all your boxers in a bundle?" Her lilac hued eyes gazed at the group expectantly.

Kuwabara scratched the back of his head, while Yusuke looked awkwardly between the red haired male and his short counterpart. Kurama was waiting patiently for his instructions with this eyes closed, the picture of tranquility. Hiei looked as aloof as always.

It was Kuwabara that broke the silence, "Maybe we shouldn't get into it again. I think a lot of us are just mad that we have to be here so early, and so soon after our last mission. I didn't even get to talk with my beloved Yukina before we got called again!" His arms were waving around as he gave his dramatic speech, but his quick witted response impressed the rest of the group. The events that took place in front of Koenma's door were best left forgotten for now.

Suspicious eyes studied the men in front of her one more time, until Koenma drew her attention. The remote that Ogre had in his possession was now in his hands. Apparently she was going to be the one to explain the mission to them. Wonderful. This was not going to go over well. Putting on a happy face, Botan steeled herself for what was to come.

"Your mission, boys, is to steal a jewel."

Kurama's emerald eyes widened in surprise. "Steal?" She had his attention.

The blue haired reaper giggled in delight. She knew that would perk the former thief's interest. "Yes, steal. But this is not going to be an easy mission. The girl that you will be stealing the jewel from is its protector, and she is an extremely powerful miko."

"A miko, you say?" Hiei's attention was now caught. He glanced at the fox before turning his attention back to Botan. "I thought all the miko were extinct or powerless. Surely she will not be as troublesome as those in the past?"

"Well, you see, this miko is a bit different from the rest. She was born in this world, however, when she was fifteen she found a way to travel into the past. Five hundred years in the past, actually. It's really quite remarkable…"

"Wait! You mean she can time travel? No way! That's super cool! I've always wanted to try it, but I didn't think it was possible. Can we do it?" The tense atmosphere within the room went completely over Kuwabara's head at the mention of time travel.

Botan giggled, "No silly. I'm afraid once the girl returns to our time within the next few days, her time traveling days will be over. The magic well that she uses to travel through time will be sealed forever."

"Well?"

At the mention of a magic well, Kurama felt his entire body go numb. He had in fact been suspicious of a magical well not too long ago. It couldn't be a mere coincidence. The feeling of dread started clawing its way through his stomach.

Pausing at Kurama's tone, Botan glanced in the kitsune's direction. "Yes, a well," she said slowly. "Kurama, are you alright?" Unbeknownst to the man, his body had begun to visibly tremble. Yusuke laid his hand on his friend's shoulder. While the young prince had no idea what had happened to Kurama that morning, if it was still bothering him, it had to have been horrible.

"Perhaps you should get on with the explanation Botan. Our patience is beginning to wane."

"Of course, of course. Sorry about that. Anywho, the woman that you will be going after in a few days is named, Kagome Higurashi."

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Hehhhhhhh...don't hate me! Reviews motivate me most! Please let me know what you think so far. It's a little bit different from the rest of my stories because it is a little more developed, so please, please let me know what you think.

Also, to those that are celebrating Thanksgiving today in America, Happy Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey and spend some time with family.


	2. Chapter 2

Oh hey everyone!

I cannot believe how many reviews my first chapter got! Twenty-nine is a record for me, so I'm pretty darn proud. All of your reviews continue to brighten my days. I read them over as I write my chapters and they make the writing flow so much faster! Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!

I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Before you get too excited, no this is not the final chapter. Remember how I said that this was going to be a two shot? Yeah, I should really have learned by now that I should just keep my mouth shut. I have a terrible habit of putting my foot in my mouth. The bad news? I'm not sure how many chapters this will be. The good news? I already have the next chapter done. :) Hopefully my fingers will just keep typing the story along so you guys don't have to wait too long. I don't expect it to be much longer than five chapters, six at the most with the epilogue that I'm planning, but who knows.

Also, just a quick warning...er...there is character death in this chapter. It breaks my heart to say it, but that's where my muse took me. Please don't hate me. :'(

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or YuYu Hakusho.

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"And why exactly did his Oh Great One not help Kagome while this was all going on in the first place? If he knew about her in the past, wouldn't it have been a good idea to keep an eye on her?" Yusuke crossed his arms irately. It would just figure that he would have to drag his butt to a fight because the King was too busy to get his act together.

Koema's eyes shot open. He leaned across his desk and slammed his palms against the poor, obviously often abused, wood. "YOU NITWIT! The Great King YAMA has a great many things to take care of! What makes you think that a girl that disappeared 500 years ago is going to cross his mind daily?!"

"So are you saying that your dad…forgot? Seems like a pretty important thing to remember if you ask me." Kuwabara chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

The great prince growled as his birdbrained spirit detectives laughed at his father's expense. "I'll have you know that my father had a lot going on around that time." He crossed his arms, mirroring Yusuke's stance. He stuck his nose in the air and turned to the side.

"What? Were you taking your first steps around the same time the universe changed forever? You're right. That IS a great excuse." The youkai prince and Kuwabara burst out in laughter.

"Grrrrrrr….Listen you! It doesn't matter what-"

"Pardon me, but aren't we getting a little off topic?" The words were quietly spoken, but the menace behind it was clear. Kurama's patience wouldn't last much longer. The red head's mind had been sufficiently blown while the conversation had been going on. To find out that his girlfriend was actually the one person that held the fate of the world in her hands 500 years ago was astounding. _And I thought that I had problems. That would explain her "illnesses"._ He huffed and looked up at the supposed 600 year old spirit prince who was currently holding on to the shoulders of his spirit detective with his legs while he slapped the boy silly. "So why exactly are we stealing this jewel from her? It sounds to me like she should be the one to keep it once the completed Shikon makes it to our time."

"As if a silly teenage girl could keep a bauble that powerful safe on her own." The cutting remark that came from the fire demon's lips was less that complementary. Emerald eyes glared at Hiei. "Don't get so upset fox. She's the one that broke it in the first place. The girl was lucky enough to have a few friends in the past, but what will she do once she is back here? The well will close, leaving all of her friends behind." Red eyes searched for Koenma, who had finally sat back behind his desk. Boton held an ice pack to Yusuke's cheek while Kuwabara lay on the floor, still snickering at his friend's plight. "Get off the ground you idiot."

"Shut up shrimp. Just 'cause you never have any fun doesn't mean the rest of us have to be miserable too."

Kurama rolled his eyes. This was all typical Team Urameshi behavior, though it was much less amusing today. "In any case, although her friends are in the past, we could always be her protectors."

Pudgy toddler fingers crossed and held Koenma's chin while he looked down his nose at the fox. "I understand that you have a personal tie to this case Kurama, but unfortunately my father has made his decision. I am asking that you put your feelings aside and do your job as a spirit detective." Serious brown eyes stared down at the group. "No matter what, as soon as Kagome Higurashi returns to your time, she must be cornered and the jewel taken from her. Under no circumstances should you hurt her, but use whatever force necessary to get that jewel from her and bring it to me. Understood?"

Yusuke glanced at Kurama, but couldn't meet his eyes. Red bangs covered the green orbs so that no one could see the emotion running through them. The youkai prince heaved a heavy sigh and glanced back up at the toddler. "Fine you big baby. When do we need to complete the job?"

"I will have Boton give you a call on the communicators once I get wind that Kagome is coming back. Wait for her." Koenma's eyes never left the red haired fox. "And make sure you don't mess this up. The fate of the world lies in your hands." He always felt a debriefing should be left off on a dramatic note.

"Yeah, yeah. The world's fate is always in our hands. We get it already." Long legs carried Kuwabara away from the desk, a hand waving flippantly in front of his face to show that he was used to the dramatics of his job.

Hiei nodded to the toddler once before he also turned to leave. His eyes drifted over to his friend. Kurama was still standing in front of the desk, glaring up at the spirit prince.

The avatar bowed respectfully before the desk just as he began to say, "I respectfully oppose this decision Koenma. You do not expect us to-"

"I expect you to complete your job, just as you have always done, Kurama." Yusuke and the others stopped just before leaving the room, all of them turning to see what was about to transpire. Koenma glared down at Kurama, remorse clearly absent from his features. "If you would like to discuss the discrepancies of your contract as spirit detective and what the job entails, we can have that conversation. We can also discuss your future as a spirit detective. I can always throw you in the dungeon for obstructing justice, instead. Is that what you'd like?" Clearly aggravated, the toddler stood up in his chair, his arms crossed in front of him.

Kurama gritted his teeth as he stared up at Koenma, his fists clenching so hard that his nails drew blood. "That is unnecessary," he gritted out through his clenched teeth. He bowed stiffly once again before he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Kuwabara hurried after him, obviously wanting to console his friend. As he passed by Hiei, he could see the dark haired shrimp shake his head.

"Foolish fox." The words were whispered in contempt as the demon stalked out of the room.

Only Yusuke stayed behind. It was clear that the prince was irate by the distain that shown through his eyes. "Damnit Koenma! What the hell is your problem? There was no need to act like an asshole. The poor guy is obviously torn over this mission. Couldn't you just take him off of this case?"

Lilac eyes were also locked on Koenma. Boton had been wondering the same thing, but knew that it was better to keep quiet through the whole exchange. Adding fuel to the fire was the last thing that she wanted to do, especially when she knew that this briefing was already going to be a difficult one for the spirit prince.

A few months back she had caught wind of the relationship that Kurama was in, and knowing that the mission was coming up, thought it best to inform Koenma before he found out himself. The normally apathetic, unless provoked, toddler was distraught. The fox avatar was one of his best detectives, and he had always done his job efficiently; the last thing that Kurama deserved was to have his one selfish relationship torn out from under him.

Unfortunately, Koenma's hands were tied. His great father trusted no one, and even though the miko had successfully put the jewel back together, there was just no knowing what would happen once the past became the present.

Koenma let out a great sigh, one that showed his burden. Brown eyes opened to stare back down at Yusuke. "I'm sorry Yusuke. This is the last thing that I want to make you all do, but we don't have a choice." He stared to the side and met Boton's eyes. She gave him a grim smile as he continued. "Kagome is about to lose everything that she holds dear to her. Her companions will all die in the final battle. She will simply be too unstable to keep the jewel safe on her own. This must be done. Don't tell Kurama."

* * *

Root-like tentacles shot past Kagome as she flew towards the evil hanyou on Kirara's back.

The houshi was down, and Sango was at his side, destroying any demon that dared come near them. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were right in front of the taijiya and were trying their best to fight through the thick tentacles that refused to give way. Even the diamond shards of Inuyasha's Kongosoha could not break through the barrier that Naraku had surrounded himself with.

Kagome knew that it was up to her to finish the ordeal. It seemed that nothing but her arrow could pierce his flesh. Miasma swirled around her, but the barrier that she had thrown up around her and the fire cat easily sliced through the poison. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists in Kirara's thick white fur. _It's up to me. Only I can do this._ Slowly, trying to keep her balance, Kagome drew an arrow from her quiver.

"Alright Kirara. You can stop here." She only had seconds to get the arrow off and into the hanyou. Her plan was the last resort. She only hoped that Inuyasha and his brother could get out of the way in time.

Evil laughter was heard all around them. "Silly miko. What are you going to do with that? Do you really think that you can defeat me with just one arrow?" Slowly, as if it had to fight its way to the surface, the face of the hanyou appeared amongst the giant trunk of tentacles and pieced together youkai. A sneer was plastered across his face, and pure hate smoldered in his violet eyes.

"Kagome! What the hell are you doing?! Get away from there!" Fear shot through Inuyasha like a bullet, just before a tentacle impaled him from the back. Wide eyes stared up at the raven haired miko.

"INUYASHA!" Insecurity washed through the miko. There was no way that she could get the arrow off without harming her friend. Tentacles flew through the air, heading her way.

"KAGOME! Shoot the arrow!" Sango's voice sliced the air, barely reaching Kagome's ears. Kirara dodged the tentacles as best she could, and it was difficult for Kagome to keep her balance. Glancing down at her friend, Kagome could see the carnage that surrounded them all. Miroku was almost out cold, his staff lay far away from his trembling form. His right hand clutched his left to his chest. It was obvious that he was under a great deal of stress trying to keep his Kazaana at bay. He would not allow it to swallow his friends.

Sango was still standing over him, but the black and red material of her taijiya uniform was torn, and dark red bloodstains littered her entire body. She too had been impaled by the tentacles one too many times.

Sesshomaru was still gallantly trying to fight his way through Naraku's barrier. The vermin flying at him was unending, and the hanyou was making it extremely difficult for him to get to his younger half-brother.

Kagome closed her eyes, not wanting to see the destruction the evil hanyou had caused any longer. _Thank goodness we left Shippo and Rin back at Kaede's hut_. Though she knew that the likelihood of the small village being untouched was little to none. _I hope they're okay._

"You have to shoot the arrow Kagome! Don't worry about us. Get rid of this bastard!" The young miko knew that her friend was right. She knew that she didn't have a choice. Sapphire eyes flew open, and tears flowed freely from her eyes as she nocked her arrow.

Sesshomaru was keeping the hanyou occupied, and Kagome could tell that Naraku was having a difficult time fending off the persistent silver haired daiyoukai and paying attention to what she was doing up above him.

More tentacles flew her way as she pulled back on the string of her bow. She could feel the power of the jewel rush through her, giving her the extra power boost that she would need to end the hanyou for good. "Hit the mark!"

The miko released the arrow just as the tentacles brushed past her, barely missing her by a thread. The arrow flew toward the evil hanyou, a horrible screech piercing the air. An explosion erupted all around her as the arrow obliterated Naraku and everything around him.

The power surge pushed Kirara out of the air. She fell fast. Kagome tried her best to cling to the tumbling fire cat as best she could, but her efforts were futile. One of her hands slipped from the thick fur and the rest of her followed. Thankfully she wasn't as high up as she was when she loosed the arrow, but her landing was nowhere near soft. As she landed, she heard a crunch, and a wail of unadulterated agony erupted from her lips as she felt her ribs crack and break. It was immediately difficult to catch her breath, and she could feel a wetness in her chest whenever she gasped for air.

The raven haired miko knew she was in trouble.

Clenching her teeth from the pain, she tried to roll herself over. She had landed on her back, and she had no idea where she was compared to her friends. A scream burst from her lips as her body rolled, the excruciating pain enough to almost make her black out. Slowly, after taking a few moments to catch her breath, the broken woman lifted her head. She wished she hadn't looked.

All around her, she could see the evidence of a giant crater. She was almost at the edge herself, and she was completely alone. Even Kirara was out of sight _. She must have fallen outside of the crater._ Warmth radiated out from the necklace that rested against her breast, but Kagome could not feel anything past her anguish and unbelievable agony. It was clear her friends were gone. The diameter of the great basin that she had created was simply too large. Unless a miracle had happened, and she doubted one had, she was the sole survivor.

Black began creeping into her vision and the warmth that she could not feel before turned into a burning heat. As the heroic miko lost consciousness, she was only slightly aware of the blinding light that surrounded her.

Then she felt nothing.

* * *

So what do you think? Not the cheeriest of chapters I know. And no Kurama/Kagome action at all. Don't worry, there will be some next chapter! Please drop me a review before you head out. I can't wait to hear what you all think.


	3. Chapter 3

Oops. Sorry. Life got away from me again. Another new (but full time!) job and a new house grabbed my attention this time. To be fair, I wrote A LOT more than what I originally had for this chapter. Hopefully that will appease the (in my mind) masses.

Angsty fic is angsty. It's good, but I feel like people came here for the fluffy stuff that I spun together for The Innocence... but all you have gotten is angst. Well, we all knew once their covers were blown that it would be a little tough for a while. Hopefully the next chapter will be happier?

At least no one dies this time.

And with THAT ray of sunshine...on with the fic!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

* * *

Light.

It pierced her eyes as she tried valiantly to peel her eyelids open.

"-ome! KAGOME!"

Someone was screaming her name. A female. But who?

Sapphire eyes finally opened, but they were dull compared to the once vibrant light they once held.

Her friends were dead. She had killed them.

Her eyes closed once more, tears forming behind her eyes, and the drops slowly dripped from her cheeks like rain droplets during a storm.

"Kagome! Get up! Kagome!"

There was no more pain. She didn't know how she knew, but Kagome knew that the Shikon, wherever it had brought her, had healed her wounds. At least the physical ones. She almost wished that she could have the agony back. She would trade anything to take away the emotional turmoil she was feeling now.

The voice continued to call to her. It sounded panicked. Again, the raven haired miko worked to open her eyes. The sun blinded her for a moment before something, or someone, blocked it out. Her mother stared down at her. She was kneeling next to her, and her brother and grandfather were standing behind her.

"Mama?" Kagome's voice was faint. So far away.

"Oh Kagome! Thank goodness that you're alright! Your brother found you right outside of the well house. You were unconscious! What happened?"

Hands grabbed her gently by the shoulders and helped her sit up. Shiori stared down at her daughter. Raven bangs hid the young woman's eyes, her head bent so that no one could look upon her. Suddenly, the girl's shoulders began trembling underneath her fingers and heavy sobs escaped her daughter's mouth.

"Oh Mama!"

Kagome threw her arms around her mother. Gut-wrenching wails burst from her lips as she buried her face in her mother's chest and cried her heart out.

All Shiori could do was clutch her brokenhearted daughter close, shushing her and consoling her as best she could. She laid her chin on the shaking girl's head as she stared up at her father and son. Kagome didn't need to tell them what happened. Deep down, they already knew.

* * *

Darkness.

It surrounded Kurama as he lay on his bed.

Soon he would have to steal something precious from one of the only people that he held dear.

He toyed with the thought of abandoning the mission, refusing to be a part of something so obviously foolish and poorly thought out, but he knew that he needed to be there when the jewel was stolen. No more would he and Kagome hide from each other. They would face their realities head on. If she hated him afterward, then he would spend the rest of eternity making up for his betrayal.

"You're being ridiculous fox. Get up. You're acting pathetic. Yoko should be ashamed"

The hand attached to the arm that lay bent under his head clenched tight for a moment before relaxing. Hiei had been unbearable lately. Two weeks had passed since Koenma had delivered the news to Team Urameshi that they would be robbing the innocent miko, and since then Hiei had taken it upon himself to get the constantly irritated fox to "grow up and grow a pair." Needless to say, the method that the fire demon had chosen was prickly barbs and scathing remarks. Not that Kurama expected the inherently grumpy demon to coddle him with tea and cookies, but enough was enough.

"Hiei." Green eyes blazed with anger as they met the fire youkai's. "Get out."

With a roll of his eyes, Hiei vanished in a burst of black flame. _He better not have singed my biology notes._ A great heavy sigh made its way through pursed lips as Kurama pushed himself up into a sitting position. Glancing at his watch, the red haired boy made note that he had about a half an hour until he needed to meet Yusuke and the rest of the gang. They were meeting to figure out how to pluck the jewel from his girlfriend clutches, someone who also happened to be an extremely powerful miko. It was sure to be a disastrous encounter, and one that he couldn't afford to allow to go sour.

As he hoisted himself up and off his mattress, his phone shattered the silence of the room. Without glancing at the caller i.d. before answering, he flipped open the receiver, "Moshi moshi."

A watery breath was heard before – "Shuichi?"

Kurama clutched his phone against his ear and sunk onto his bed. He didn't expect to hear from her before-

"Shuichi, are you there?"

He could hear her breath catch through the line, as if she were trying to keep herself from crying. "Kagome! How are you? How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

It was silent on her end of the phone for a moment before she answered. She sounded tired. Beaten. "I'm…hanging in there I suppose. I just got back from Kyoto." Again she stopped.

Kurama's heart clenched. He knew something was off. Something horrific must have happened while she was in the past. Emerald eyes closed and he almost laughed at the irony. Here he was, listening to the girlfriend who he never thought he would get to speak to again, wishing he could talk to her like a normal person. Now that he knew her secret, things would never be the same between them. "Kagome, are you alright? You seem like you're-"

"I just found out that some of my close friends just died. In a car crash. I-" And she burst into tears.

So that was it. They were all gone. He clenched his fist as he listened to the devastated cries that raked his eardrums. "I am so sorry, Kagome. Is there anything that I can do? Do you want me to come over?" He immediately it was a terrible idea. Koenma was always watching her house. If the prince found out that he was at the shrine and didn't try to steal the jewel, there would be hell to pay. But the broken hearted sobs that he heard over the phone told him that she needed him. He would be damned if he let his job as a spirit detective interfere with comforting the distressed girl.

"I'm at home right now. I'm so sorry Shuichi. It wasn't my intention to-"

"I'll be right there."

Her sobs were lightening to sniffles. A watery laugh preceded her concession. "Okay. Though I'm a bit of a mess…scratch that. I'm a giant mess."

A wry smile snuck its way to Kurama's lips. "I don't mind. I'll just make sure I wear an old shirt so you don't ruin any of my good ones."

Another watery laugh was heard on the other line. She knew he was only joking. He would never care about something like that. "I'll see you soon, Shuichi. Thank you."

Kurama could tell she was about to hang up, but there was one more thing he wanted to say. Something that she didn't allow him to say the last time that they had spoken. "Kagome."

"Hm?"

He could hear her breathing hitch again on the other line. He was sure she was going to start crying as soon as he hung up with her.

"I love you too."

Ending the call, Kurama jumped off his bed to change. As he threw on his shirt, his phone chirped. A text message lit up his phone.

He walked back over across his room, expecting to see a text from Kagome.

Instead, it was from Yusuke. Kurama paled as he read the damning text. "Time to go to work. Meet us at the shrine's steps."

* * *

Kagome gaped at her dead phone. She knew she shouldn't be shocked at his words. After all, she had done the same thing to him during their last conversation. But she had thought she was dying! Before she could contemplate his words any longer, a soft knock came from her bedroom door.

Slowly the door opened and her mother walked in holding a tray with two steaming cups of tea. A soft smile graced the raven haired beauty's lips as the older woman placed the tray on her desk and turned to hand her a cup. Her mother always knew how to make her feel better. The ache of losing her friends could never be erased so soon, after all it had only been a day, but the knowledge that she had a loving family around her to help her through the heartache comforted her a little.

"Did you call Shuichi, Darling?" The worried look in her mother's eyes hadn't left since she opened her own in front of the well house not too long ago.

Tears threatened to overflow again at the thought of the now powerless building. Sniffling and trying valiantly not to turn into a broken mess again, Kagome nodded her head. "He should be here soon. He said he would come right over."

Shiori sighed with relief, her shoulders sagging as she hung her head. Nothing could erase the pain her daughter was feeling, but the red-headed boy was always able to make the young girl feel better. "I'm glad he was around. I was afraid he would be out on another job."

"Yes, I'm very lucky – "

The older woman's brows scrunched in confusion as her daughter's words cut off. "Is something wrong, Kagome?" Her daughter sat up suddenly from her slouched position on the bed, placing her teacup down on her bedside table.

Kagome's breath caught as she hurried to the window. Taking in air was suddenly extremely difficult.

"…Kagome?" The young girl's eyes slowly widened in horror as she stared out the window.

"Not now. Not yet," The miko whispered to herself, her face paling sickeningly. Youki. Rushing towards the house at an alarming pace. _I'm not ready for this yet_. Kagome felt as if she couldn't get enough air in her lungs, it was as if one of them was still punctured from her horrific battle not too long ago. Her vision started to swim…

"Kagome!"

Her focus narrowed and she snapped back to attention. Shiori stood next to her, holding her up, supporting her from around her waist. "What's wrong?"

Moving her head back and forth as if to clear her vision, raven tresses falling wildly around her, Kagome whispered, "There are two youkai heading towards the house."

Shiori clutched her overwhelmed daughter close. She knew it was too soon for the broken miko to handle something like this. Where was the silver-haired hanyou when you needed him? Her heart clenched in agony as she remembered why he was missing. "What are we going to do?"

Determination flashed in the deep blue hues of Kagome's eyes. She pulled away from her mother and sucked in a deep breath. Letting out the air slowly, her gaze as cold as ice. _They're after the jewel. I won't fail the people close to me again_. _I won't lose this time._ She gazed out the window, eyes already scanning for the enemy. "I'm going to destroy them."

"Did you let Kurama know that we are on our way?" The deceptively undersized youkai barely broke a sweat as he fairly jogged next to the sprinting spirit detectives.

"Can't…talk…now….Outta…breath…."

Hiei rolled his eyes at the gasping behemoth struggling next to him. "It's a damn good thing I wasn't speaking to you then, wasn't it, you giant buffoon. Maybe if you stopped sucking down all that junk you call food you wouldn't be so out of shape all the time."

"What? …Just…you…wait… till…I…"

"What? I can't hear you over your disgusting panting."

Boton rolled her eyes at the stubborn boys' antics. This was hardly the time to be cracking jokes and she told them so. "Gentlemen, please." She gazed at the group leader as she flew swiftly next to them on her paddle. "Yusuke sent a message to our fox friend a few minutes ago. Hopefully he'll meet us there." Even as she said this, she felt uncertain of her own words. _I hope that Kurama makes the right choice in this one. Koenma won't be merciful if he disobeys_.

Yusuke stayed quiet for once, steeling himself for the almost certain battle that was about to unfold. Right before he sent the message to Kurama, Boton had warned him that the situation had changed a bit. His job was about to get a hell of a lot more difficult soon.

The shrine loomed ahead and dread struck through his gut like a bolt of lightning. He slowed down to a light jog before coming to a stop. Staring up at the top of the stairs, he waited for his friend to catch his breath.

Forearms leaning heavily against his knees, Kuwabara gasped for breath as he too came to a stop. Lifting his head, he looked around them. "Where's Kurama?"

"Not here yet-"

"I'm here."

The gang's heads whipped to the left as Kurama seemed to seep right out of the shadows. His eyes were like steel as he gazed at his friends.

"You're here. That's good." Yusuke turned toward his comrade, relieved that he showed of his own volition. Things would have ended badly if Boton had to retrieve him herself. He squared his shoulders and leaned back, tilting his head a bit at the same time. As his back cracked, he sighed his relief. Glancing at the rest of the group he asked, "Are we ready?"

"I will not be participating."

Everyone stared hard at the red-head's sudden, but not unexpected, proclamation.

"Stop whining, you idiot."

Kurama's teeth clenched at the scathing remark. Piercing emerald eyes glared into flaming red ones. "I am here. Nothing else should be required of me. And since I am in the presence of _friends_ , I assume that I will not be pressured otherwise."

The raven haired male fairly growled. "I don't understand why you continue to allow that useless, slip of a _girl_ come between you and the contract that you made with Koenma. Will you really throw your life away just for one woman?" By the time he finished his sentence, Hiei was fairly shouting.

Finally, the red haired kitsune snapped. Youki flooded the area as he took a menacing step toward the fire demon. "Just because you have not felt an ounce of love for any being other than yourself, does not mean that you get to demean the decisions that I make about my life or anyone else's." Emerald eyes flashed to gold and back, as fast as it took for Kurama to force his way past the leader of their group and into Hiei's space. "Do not forget that I can wipe you out of your miserable existence if I really want to. Do _not_ push me, Hiei."

"Uh…guys?"

The two youkai looked like two wolves about to devour the other, teeth bared and hair standing on end. Neither acknowledged the tall spirit detective that was trying to get their attention.

"Yo! Kurama! Hiei! Knock it off! We have company!"

The shout from the youkai prince was finally heeded at the utterance of "company". Both males snapped their heads in the direction of Yusuke, only to find that he was staring grimly up at the top of the stairs. Their eyes followed his gaze.

At the lip of the shrine steps stood a raven haired woman in full miko garb. In her left hand she grasped a bow, and in her right an arrow. Even from where he stood, Kurama could see that her knuckles were almost pure white from clutching the wood so tight.

"Shuichi?" His name was a pained whisper on the breeze. Her voice trembled as she took in the scene of her boyfriend baring down on another youkai with his overwhelming demonic presence. It was almost…malevolent. That wasn't right. Her Shuichi could never let out such a horrible aura.

The red headed male's anger immediately cooled at the sight of his distraught other half. He straightened as he called out her name.

The pained sound of her name on his lips rang in her ears, but she ignored it, knowing what she had to do. _I will not fail again._

* * *

So, in writing this little fic of mine, I have found that I have a bit of a flair for the dramatic. Though if you ask my family, they would probably tell you they knew that about me a while ago.

Sorry I made Hiei into a giant jerk in this fic. He's so bitter about Kurama's relationship. I honestly don't know why he comes out that way.

Kurama is a little...more angsty than normal too, but give the guy a break! He's about to steal the love of his life's most precious thing! (There I go with the dramatics again.) But it's true!

I hope Kagome lives up to your expectations. I don't want her to seem like she's blubbering all over the place, but she DID just go through a PRETTY traumatic experience. I feel like some tears are at least appropriate. Her badassery at the end should make up for it.

Hopefully you all enjoy the route this fic is taking. I have things planned out, and then my muse takes me in a different direction. I'm pleased with the way that it is going so far, though. To explain a bit why Koenma and King Yama are so hell bent on taking this jewel from Kagome: she is clearly a bit distraught. Yes, I COULD go in the direction of "KURAMA BE MY PROTECTOR AND BE WITH ME ALWAYS! I LOVE YOU!" but I feel like that bit is done a lot and I want to be different. This is so much more fun anyway. It makes more sense due to all the dancing around of their secret identities anyway. But have faith dear readers! All will come together in the end...hopefully. heheh ^_^

Until next time!


End file.
